Carranza signs off at KUNO

Show 'Verdades y Chismes' offered strong opinions

It's truth, not gossip. Vicente Carranza has signed off for the last
time from his daily morning talk show on KUNO radio.

Carranza, a voice of news and commentary for many in the local
Hispanic community, used his two-hour show Friday to reminisce about
his time on the air. He played Spanish versions of "I Did it My Way"
and "The Impossible Dream" before announcing his departure.

"We've come a long way," he said at one point in the program.

He kept his announcement until the end of the show, saying he was
leaving because of unspecified internal conflicts.

"I hated to leave, but I'm getting older," he told the Caller-Times
after signing off. "I'm no spring chicken."

Station officials could not be reached Friday.

Carranza's program began Sept. 19, 1994, under the name "Cuentos y
Chismes" (Stories and Gossip), but was later changed to "Verdades y
Chismes" (Truth and Gossip).

"In our society today, a lot of truth becomes gossip and a lot of
gossip becomes truth," Carranza said in a 1997 interview.

The show was known for its regular parade of politicians, for
Carranza's strong opinions and the way in which he spoke - a mixture of
Spanish and English.

For many Hispanic seniors, Carranza provided valuable insight into
the inner workings of local politics. But for some politicians,
Carranza's show was more of a bother.

Mayor Henry Garrett, who recalled appearing on the show only twice,
said he and Carranza did not see eye-to-eye on many issues.

"He just had a different spin on things," Garrett said. "He's
stepped on some people's toes, I know that."

Longtime listener Esperanza Vasquez said she happened to tune into
the show Friday and heard Carranza playing the songs.

"What a shock when he said, 'This is my last day,' " Vasquez
said.

Vasquez had been a regular listener for many years and said
Carranza's show helped her understand the local political scene.

"He really helped people," she said.

Listener David Flores also said he was surprised to hear Carranza's
announcement. Flores said he and his mother relied on the show to learn
more about local news.

"He gets a lot of information to the seniors, and that's important,"
Flores said. "He makes it very interesting to decipher the
information."

Carranza said he had considered ending the show for about a year,
but made the final decision recently for personal reasons. He said he
does hope to return to the airwaves soon, but not until after a restful
vacation. He said his wife has plans for him to do some work around the
house.